Fertilizing
Warm-season grass is hungriest when it's growing fast — so fertilizing is mostly timing and restraint.
The basic idea
Feed while it's active.
Hold off until the lawn has fully greened up and been mowed two or three times — usually about six weeks after the last spring frost — then feed only through the active growing season. Fertilizing a dormant, drought-stressed, or late-season lawn wastes the nitrogen and can invite disease.[Aggie Turf Calendar, AgriLife Checklist]
At the other end, the last feeding generally goes down no later than about six weeks before the first expected fall frost — mid-October in much of the Austin area.[AgriLife Checklist]
Per feeding
A little, spaced out.
0.5–1 lb
of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft — the most in any single feeding.
1–4×
over the growing season, depending on the grass and how lush you want it.
4–8 wks
between feedings — closer to 6–8 with a slow-release blend.
The per-feeding ceiling of a pound of nitrogen is the firm one — going over it is where lawns get burned and pushed into soft, disease-prone growth.[Aggie Turf Calendar, AgriLife Checklist]
Over a year
How much a lawn wants depends on the grass.
Low-to-high ranges, in pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year — lower keeps things easy, higher chases a lush, high-input look.[AgriLife Checklist]
| Grass | Low | Moderate | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bermuda (common) | 2 | 2–3 | 4–5 |
| Bermuda (hybrid) | 2 | 3–4 | 5–6 |
| St. Augustine (sun) | 2 | 2–3 | 3–4 |
| St. Augustine (shade) | 1 | 1–2 | — |
| Zoysia | 1–2 | 2–3 | 3–4 |
Reading the bag
The three numbers — say 16-4-8 — are the percent by weight of nitrogen (N), phosphate, and potash, always in that order. A 40-lb bag of 16-4-8 carries about 6.4 lb of actual nitrogen (40 × 0.16).[Aggie Turf Calendar, AgriLife Checklist]
A soil test settles the rest
Nitrogen is the one grass burns through; phosphorus and potassium are better set by a test than a guess — every two to three years is a reasonable cadence. Our soils often run alkaline, so a test can flag when iron, not more fertilizer, is what a pale lawn needs.[AgriLife Checklist, Aggie Turf Calendar]
Slow-release nitrogen feeds gently over weeks; quick-release greens up fast and fades fast. A blend gives a lift now and a steadier follow-through.[Aggie Turf Calendar]
Easy to overdo
More nitrogen isn't more lawn. Too much drives a burst of soft growth — more mowing, more clippings, and scalping — can feed disease, and the excess can leach or run off. Two cautions: don't feed right before heavy rain, and sweep stray granules off the driveway back onto the grass.[Aggie Turf Calendar, AgriLife Checklist]
The free feeding
Leaving the clippings on the lawn returns roughly 15–25% of its nitrogen, and it doesn't cause thatch. Mulch as you mow and you fertilize a little less.[MU Extension, Aggie Turf Calendar]
When was your lawn last fed?
Get it on the scheduleSources
- 1.Chalmers, D. & McAfee, J. "Fertilizing Texas Lawns: 10-Point Checklist for Warm-Season Grasses" (SCSC-PU-033). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, 2023. Link
- 2.Reynolds, C. & Elmore, M. "Bermudagrass Home Lawn Management Calendar" (ESC-042). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, 2016. Link
- 3.Starbuck, C. "Grass Clippings, Compost and Mulch: Questions and Answers" (G6958). University of Missouri Extension. Link
General guidance drawn from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (and, for grasscycling, University of Missouri Extension) — a starting point, not a prescription. A soil test tells you what your lawn actually needs.